


Your World And Mine

by lovegood27



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, China, Chinese Character, Complete, Dark, Gen, General, Muggle Life, Muggles, Non-Graphic Violence, One Shot, Post-Hogwarts, Post-War, Torture, Wizarding World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 10:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12318876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovegood27/pseuds/lovegood27
Summary: "You're a muggle, aren't you?" he asks.You don't know what a muggle is. From his tone, you can tell it's not a good thing if you are one.





	Your World And Mine

Your mum's sent you out to buy milk again. You don't know why you're even bothering, the milk they sell here's disgusting and full of bad chemicals. But then again, it's not as if your mother would actually ever let you have any say in any matter, however small. It's one of the reasons you're dying to move into your own flat as soon as possible. 

You hear her yelling at you from the kitchen to hurry up. Sighing, you throw your hair into a bun and pull a disposable mask over your mouth to stop the polluted air outside from reaching your lungs. The mask smells odd but you're used to it by now. It does make you occasionally wonder why you're still putting up with all this and continuing to live in China. It's not like you even like it here. 

As you step out of the dingy little flat you live in with your mother, you comfort yourself with the reminder that you'll be going to university next year. You could move not only out of your current flat but also out of China to some far away country. Maybe England. Perhaps you could even get a place at Cambridge or Oxford; your grades weren't bad, really...

You stop just as you're reaching the shop. You think you've heard a noise like a crack, or something like that. You decide it's not worth worrying over, and dismiss the noise. But suddenly, a cold hand has gripped your wrist and you can't seem to move. You turn around to see someone wearing a big mask and long...robes is probably the word for it. 

A chill creeps up your spine, as you try to think of reasons why anyone would even wear that. There's something oddly sinister about it...the mask itself says death and everything is a dark shade of midnight black. 

"Sorry to bother you," the masked figure says. He speaks in perfect English, but years of being taught the subject at school means you're now fluent with the language, as well as Mandarin, your mother tongue. You've figure out that it's a man from his voice; his hidden face and the long black cloak he's wearing made it impossible to tell before.

His voice is a creepy whisper, almost inhuman. It makes you want to throw up your intestines. Your brain screams at you to run, because somehow you know this is someone who shouldn't be messed with, but your body is frozen. 

You try to say something but your lips have suddenly gone dry and you can't. 

"You're a muggle, aren't you?" he asks. 

You don't know what a muggle is. From his tone, you can tell it's not a good thing if you are one. 

"I- I don't know." You have to force the words out of your mouth. "I don't know what a Muggle is."

"You must be one, then," the masked man says. "Follow me, and I'll show you." 

You don't want to, but it doesn't feel like there's much choice. Besides, he's still holding your wrist, almost like he knows you don't want to go with him and is trying to prevent you from escaping. 

He leads you to a dark alleyway which is just next to the shop you were going to to buy your milk. You're getting a bad feeling about all this, but the man still had a tight hold of you, and you don't know what the risks will be if you try and escape. This person is potentially dangerous, or perhaps insane, if his creepily abnormal clothing is anything to go by. 

He pulls you further down the alley, then turns around the corner and stops. He pulls out a stick from inside his cloak and points it at you. You try to ask him what he's doing and why he has a stick, but you find that no sound comes out of your mouth when you try to speak. 

The words _mute_ and _voiceless_ flash through your mind discouragingly. You start to panic because if _you can't talk_ how will you continue living your life like it was before?

He sees the worry etched on your face. "Don't worry," he says. "It's only temporary. Just do what I say and then you can go, alright? Now stand over here." He gestures to a spot beside him. You feel reluctant to do so but...something about his creepy voice is compelling and controlling. 

You go and stand next to him, waiting in fear. He directs his stick at you again. You're starting to think it's not just a stick- it took away your speaking abilities. But what else could it be?

A red light is produced from the man's stick, illuminating the whole alleyway, and you have a bad feeling it's not just there for decoration. You wonder if anyone will notice so they can save you. 

He says a funny word, and you're wondering what 'crucio' means. Then, without warning, pain like you've never experienced rips through your body. You open your mouth and scream in agony, except no sound comes out. You drop to your knees, hoping it will go away. 

It doesn't. The pain slowly spreads all around your body and you feel like you're on fire. You feel like someone is ripping out all the organs and tissues and muscles inside of you. Like you're a live animal being dissected by cruel scientists for an experiment. Your mother always said how painful giving birth to a child was, but you're sure this is a thousand times worse. 

Hot tears are flooding down your pale face, and your long hair is sticking to your cheeks as you twist and writhe on the dirty floor. You don't care; you want the pain to stop. Through the tears which blur your eyes, you see the masked man who still has his stick pointed at you. He's unmerciful and will not stop. 

You try and scream again as your body is internally shredded into pieces again. Your head is pounding, you're vaguely aware of a piercing cry that fills the whole air. It takes you several minutes to realise the cry is coming from your own mouth. 

_You can talk again._

You brain manages to register the fact that the pain has also stopped. You lie on the ground where you are, because you're feeling exhausted after that torture. Your body shakes from your tears, so you try and stem the flow with your shirt sleeve. You know you must look like a total wreck, but you're just glad the previous pain is over. 

Your heart stops dead as your hear the man whisper "That was just the beginning."

A loud sob escapes from your mouth, because you can't take any more, and you're sure he knows it too. You want to go back home and jump into bed and pull your covers over your head. You wish this day had never happened and that you had never encountered this horrible man. 

You start to cry again as you see the man raising his stick towards you again. Then you hear a loud bang and someone shrieking "No!" There's a thud...what's going on?

Soft hands gently take your arms, and prop you up in a sitting position. You hear another voice muttering something, and the next moment, cold, refreshing water fills your mouth, even though you don't feel a cup against your lips. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the masked man slumped on the floor. You think he's dead, but then you see the rise and fall of his chest showing he's still alive- to your disappointment. 

You turn your head to see who saved you from his torturing. You're surprised to see it's a young girl like you. She's probably only a little older, but she has the same smooth, black hair and brown eyes as you. She wears a concerned expression on her face. 

You notice she holds a stick in her hand, with the same intricate carvings as the stick the masked man held. You recoil slightly from her, just in case she's here to torture you again just like the man; you aren't sure you can tolerate more pain as unbearable as that. 

She sees you looking and hastily shoves the stick into her jeans' pocket. At least she's wearing normal clothes. 

When she speaks, she talks in Chinese. Her voice is gentle and makes you feel safe. Like your father's voice did before he fell ill and...no, you don't want to think about that.

"Are you alright?" she asks, banishing all doubts you had of her in your mind- if she was here to torture you like that man, why would she ask about your wellbeing? "What did he do to you?"

"I don't know," you say. You accept that she already knew the man had been involved and take a moment to recollect your memories. "I just saw red light everywhere. I don't know how he did it but it really hurt."

The girl seems to understand, because her face fills with sympathy and she pulls you into a hug. You're caught a bit off guard, but you don't mind. 

"I'm so sorry that had to happen to you," she says. "People like him are evil."

"Who is he?" you ask, when she releases you. "How did he do it?"

The girl presses her lips together her eyes cast down. 

"Is it something to do with the stick he was holding?" you press. "It's where the red light came from. You have one," you add sharply. 

The girl turns red at that. She bites her lip nervously while you watch her. You want an answer to things. 

"I can't tell you," she says. "It's against the rules of...of my people."

"Your people? But you aren't one of them, are you?" You gesture to the man still lying on the ground. 

She looks horrified at the suggestion. "No, Merlin, no! I'd rather die than become one of _them._ They killed Ce- they killed a lot of people. But we shouldn't be here, he'll wake up soon since- never mind." She helps you up and you walk back down the alleyway together. 

_What kind of expression is 'Merlin'?_

"Why was that man doing...well, whatever he was doing to me?" you ask. You want to know. 

"He's called a Death Eater," the girl tells you. "They're a bit like terrorists, I suppose. They're situated in the United Kingdom, but I think there's a group like them in China as well. They're called the Red Devils, or something stupid like that. 

"Really?" your brow furrows. "Why haven't I heard of them before?"

"I can't tell you." The two of you walk on in silence until you're out of the alleyway. 

"I'll take you back home," the girl offers suddenly. "There might be more of them around."

"Oh. I'm fine. Really," you say. You don't want to be walked back home as if you're a child- though you technically aren't of age yet. 

"No, it's dangerous. The Death Eaters- or what's left of them anyway, are attacking people like you. They want revenge so they're striking back. Where do you live? By the North Star Apartments?"

You nod, trying to figure out how on earth she knew. Lucky guess, probably. 

"Revenge on what?" you ask, as the two of you set off towards the block of apartments you live in. 

"There was a war. Two wars, actually, in our world-"

"In your world?" you interrupt. "What do you mean your world?" 

"I can't tell you that. I'm telling you what I'm allowed to without being arrested," the girl says. "In our world, there are people who don't mind people like you, and people who hate people like you. People who hate you so much that they try to kill you, against the wishes of the Ministries, our governments. Among those people are the Death Eaters, and the war we had was between us and them."

"You had a war because of _us_? But why do we not know about any of this, if we're the cause of so much in 'your world'?" you argue. 

"Look, I can't tell you, or the Chinese Ministry will be on to me," she tells you. "People like me are bound to a Statute of Secrecy so people like you don't find out about us. You see, you knew about us a long time ago, and we had a war which ended in you forcing us into hiding."

You don't like the way she's talking. It's like she's creating a division between you and her. You wish you knew their secrets. 

"What that man did to you," the girl says lowering her voice. "It's legal here. But if he had done that in England, he would have been thrown in Azkaban. It's our prison," she adds. "It's the main one, since our population is tiny so we only need one in the UK."

"So...you live in the UK?"

She nods. "My parents are Chinese, but we moved to Scotland so I could attend the school there. For people like me. I'm here visiting my home country."

You raise your eyebrows. "And there wasn't a school here you could go to?"

"No," she says. "The nearest one's in Japan. It's called Mahoutokoro, but I didn't really fancy it. Okay, which block is it?" You've reached the apartments, all of which a lettered from A to H. 

"F." You're sad that you have to leave the girl. She's interesting, and you want to know as much as you can of her world, which you wish you could be part of. She clearly loves it despite the previous wars- you've heard the way she talks about it. 

The girl bids you goodbye, and is about to walk away when something occurs to you. 

"I never thanked you for saving me," you say, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turns around, surprised, and smiles. 

"It was nothing," she says. "He could have done much more damage and I just wanted to stop him."

"Thanks." You return her smile. 

"Do you still, um, need anything?" she asks. 

You shake your head, because there's nothing. Nothing that she can provide you with, anyway. But while you were talking about her 'world' with her, something's been nagging you the whole time. 

"What's your name?" you blurt out, blushing as you realise how stupid and intruding you sounded. "Sorry. If you don't mind telling me, that is. I'd just- I'd like to keep in touch."

"It's because you want to find out more, isn't it?" She guesses correctly. She laughs as you give an embarrassed nod. "It's not a problem. I'm like that too- I always want to find out more about everything. One of the reasons why I'm a Ravenclaw, I think."

"Ravenclaw?"

"I shouldn't have said that," she admits. "It was just an accident but...I might tell you about it in the future, since I've already mentioned it." She grins at you and sticks out a hand. "I'm Cho."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Right...so I have no clue how this is, as this was pretty experimental for me. I've never written in second person, nor have I written much about magic in other countries, which was the challenge this story is for. Any general thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated! The little review box at the bottom might be a good start ;)
> 
> Thanks to hedwig1751 for beta-ing, and for helping me decide on a title for this one-shot :)


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